


All's Fair in First Dates and Coffee

by Deannachu



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: A couple other minor characters, F/M, Juggey - Freeform, Team Jones, coffee shop AU, cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 20:58:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1793008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deannachu/pseuds/Deannachu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael Jones has been working at Geoff's Coffee Shop since he was sixteen. He's learned the ropes and is everyone's favorite barista; coupled with Gavin Free the two make a real team. He's ready to tackle any problem, ranging from handing the customer a wrong order to accidentally taking too long to make a drink. However, what he's not ready for is to spill scalding hot coffee down the front of Lindsay Tuggey's shirt one busy morning. The encounter leaves Michael embarrassed and Lindsay intrigued by the cute barista, even if she does have coffee all down her shirt. With a little prodding from Geoff and Ray, Michael's friend, coffee may be just the thing to bring the two together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All's Fair in First Dates and Coffee

When Michael was sixteen, he swore to himself that there were two types of jobs he would never have: fast food and retail. Fast food because he got sick just smelling a McDonald's cheeseburger and would rather jump off of a cliff than have to flip them for a living, and retail because people were assholes and he couldn't give two shits about clothing or selling products. He had a wild temper that he had control over, but there were some instances that would cause the man to snap. 

So when the coffee shop down the road from his house put a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window, Michael jumped at the opportunity. He went in the next day dressed nicely and met with the manager, Geoff, to be interviewed for the position. A cup of coffee and several funny stories later, he was hired. It surprised him, being that he was sixteen and barely even legal enough to work, but Geoff said he saw potential in the boy and promised to show him how to do everything, being right by his side until he got it down without a hitch. 

There were a few instances when Michael would mess up an order or give the customer the wrong drink and he would get yelled at by caffeine-deprived teenagers and adults; but Geoff would always step in and kindly talk down the angry customers until they realized that Michael was new and was still learning the ropes. Some would apologize, others would just grab their coffee or tea and walk off, grumbling under their breath about 'incompetent workers' and 'how that kid ever got a job was beyond me.' 

After a few months of working, he had a handle on everything from pouring the coffee to keeping up with the endless stream of orders. He never once forgot an order and started recognizing the regulars by name. When they walked in the door Michael already had a cup ready with their name on the side and the shorthanded order written just underneath. He quickly became a favorite barista of the regulars and, when he eventually started college to earn a business degree, he began helping Geoff with more business aspects of the shop. They hired a new barista about two months before Michael started his freshman year of college; his name was Gavin and he was British, clumsy, goofy, and susceptible to confusing himself and others on more than one occasion.

Geoff hired him because he 'had a certain charm to him.' Michael thought the older man was crazy, at least until Gavin got the hang of how things worked. Soon the two boys became an unstoppable team, some of the regulars nicknaming them 'Team Nice Dynamite' because Michael had a temper and Gavin was the nicest of the two. Together they tackled even the toughest crowds and customers with ease. They would work early morning shifts to tackle the morning rush and Michael would go to class, leaving Gavin and Geoff to run the shop until he got back. Once Michael returned, Gavin would leave.

One morning Michael and Gavin were tackling orders like normal, calling out the drinks when they were ready.

"Mocha cappuccino, no whip!"

"Venti hot chocolate, extra whip!"

"Tall chai tea!"

Michael took a tray of coffee mugs in his arms to take over to the group of college students in the corner who weren't taking them to go. The smell of the steaming hot coffee warmed his nostrils and made him smile as he passed through the small crowd of people to the corner. He approached the group, recognizing a couple of them from his college classes. "Hey Miles, Kara, Arryn, Ray. I've got your coffee." They smiled at the boy and took their mugs graciously, a couple of them looking as though they needed it. There was one mug left, although he only counted four people. "Is there a fifth person in your group?" he asked. They shook their heads.

"Nope, just us," Ray said, writing something in a notebook. It looked like he was working on some math problems and Michael hovered for a moment, watching the man work. He noticed and looked up, smiling shyly. "Can I help you with something?" Michael took a step back and grimaced from being caught.

"Sorry; hey, I can help you with your math homework some time if you're struggling; I was pretty good at it in high school, so if you ever need someone to explain things I can help," he said, smiling softly. Ray's face lit up and nodded.  Michael said goodbye to the group and turned around to take the drink back to the counter to keep it warm when he ran smack into something - some _body -_ hard, sending the warm liquid spilling onto them. 

Oh god.

"Fuck!" the redhead yelled, staring at her now soaking wet shirt. It was an old, worn band shirt of a band Michael didn't recognize. He stared, horrified, at her and attempted to process what the fuck just happened. 

 _Napkins, you idiot. Get her some fucking napkins._ He ran to the counter, mumbling, "fuck fuck fuck" as he did so, and grabbed two handfuls of napkins, thrusting them at the girl who was now drenched in hot coffee. "I am so sorry," he stuttered, not wanting to help for fear of touching somewhere he shouldn't - or getting the shit kicked out of him. She scrunched up napkins to try to soak up coffee from her shirt and she looked more sad than mad at the fact that she was covered in coffee. "I didn't see you; I'm such an idiot, please don't hate me." She finally looked up into his eyes, blue eyes meeting brown, and his heart skipped a beat. 

"It's - it's fine, really," she said softly, still dabbing at her shirt. Michael opened his mouth to say something, anything, when Geoff came storming up with a horrified, pissed off look on his face. 

"God damn it, again?" he half-yelled, handing the girl more napkins. He shrunk back from him, terrified of his boss. 

"No really, it's okay. Don't yell at him," the girl spoke up, pleading with Geoff. "It was an accident, I wasn't looking where I was going either. It's just as much my fault as it his his." Geoff looked back and forth between the two and shook his head. 

"At least let me fix you a new drink, no charge," he said. She nodded. He sniffed the air. "Smells like coffee. Right?" 

"Yes, that's right." He told her he would be back and walked back to the counter, barking at Gavin to 'fix another fucking coffee and stat.' Michael rolled his eyes at his boss and focused his attention back to the girl. 

"Again, I do apologize. I have an extra shirt if you need something to wear; it might be a little big on you but it's better than going around smelling like coffee," he babbled nervously. She grinned at him.

"I would like that, since my house is about fifteen minutes away. Does the coffee-spiller have a name?" she teased. Michael's face felt like it was on fire.

"Uh, Mickey - I mean, Mitch, no," he babbled, slapping his forehead. "I mean -"

"His name's Michael," Ray yelled from the corner. Michael turned around and saw the boy giving him a thumbs up a cheeky wink. He raised his middle finger in thanks and Ray just laughed. 

"Michael, huh? I'm Lindsay," she laughed, extending her hand. They shook hands, standing around awkwardly for a couple of moments. She raised an eyebrow, "So that shirt you were talking about..."

"Oh, right! Stay here, I'll go get it." He hurriedly ran out to his car and shuffled through his trunk, pulling out an old 'Geoff's Coffee Shop' shirt that was too small for him, but just might fit Lindsay. It was clean enough to wear, even though it had been in his trunk. He walked back inside and handed it to her. "It's been in the trunk of my car, but it's clean. Maybe it'll be okay for today."

She took it, grateful to have something to change into. "Try not to spill my coffee on this one, okay Michael?" 

She turned on her heel to head to the restroom and left Michael to the amused laughter of not only his friends in the corner but his boss and Gavin too. 

 

After Michael's incident with Lindsay, he would always look for her every time he worked. When the door opened he would stop what he was doing to see who it was coming in the shop, only to be disappointed when it wasn't her. Geoff took notice and would roll his eyes every time it happened.

"You look like a puppy waiting for his human to return from a long trip," he commented one evening during their slow time. Michael was wiping down some empty tables, picking up empty mugs and plates with cookie and brownie crumbs and placing them in a bin. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he quipped, focusing on his task at hand. Geoff put a hand on his shoulder. 

"It's obvious you like this girl. Even Gavin can tell," he told Michael, eyeing him with a 'don't even bother arguing because you know I'm right and you're so full of bullshit if you disagree' look. Michael just rolled his eyes.

"I'm not denying or confirming that, so you can forget it," he said, picking up the bin and his rag and taking it back to the counter. He had too much on his mind to be worrying about his nosy boss; he had a major test coming up in a few days that he needed to study for and he was in the process of looking for apartments so he could move out of his parent's house. But underneath all of the worry he was thinking about Lindsay. They only spoke that one time, fucking up his first impression with her big time. But he couldn't stop thinking about her eyes and the way she looked at him; not with disgust but with a sense of understanding. 

"Alright asshole; once you're done cleaning up you can take your dinner break and have time to  _not_ think about that girl," Geoff laughed, heading into the back room to work on more things for the shop. Michael tried to trip him but Geoff was too quick, laughing maniacally as he went out of sight. 

"Dick," he muttered fondly of his boss, washing the dishes and rinsing out the mugs. He hummed quietly to himself, forgetting to turn around when the familiar sound of the door opening filled his ears. He finished his task and turned around, freezing in his tracks. 

It was her.

"Hey, Michael," she said somewhat sleepily, raising an arm in greeting. He smiled nervously and walked to the counter, ready to take her order. 

"Have you been napping or something?" he asked, ringing up her coffee. She nodded, pulling out cash from her wallet. 

"Yeah; I take really early classes, so I usually spend the afternoon napping then come here for my daily coffee fix. Sometimes I'll stop by before class to get something to drink, but I don't know if that's safe anymore, since the last time I did it  _somebody_ spilled it on me," she laughed not unkindly. Michael's face flushed with embarrassment. "I usually come by a little later than this, but I woke up early so I thought I would go ahead and stop by."  _So that's why I never see her; I'm usually back in the break room on my dinner break when she stops by. God damn it, I'm going to murder Geoff._

He handed her the coffee. "I'm about to go on my dinner break; it's only thirty minutes. But I could sit out here with you, if you didn't want to sit alone?" he asked nervously, running a hand through his curly locks. She smiled. 

"The company would be wonderful, thank you." 

"Alright love birds; Michael go ahead and clock out; I've got it," Geoff said, sneaking up behind Michael. He jumped about two feet in the air, his heart pounding wildly. 

"Christ, Geoff, you scared the shit out of me."

"That was the plan, asshole. Now go, hurry before she decides to take her coffee to go," he joked, pushing Michael towards the hallway where the break room was. He grabbed his dinner from the fridge and clocked out, finding his way to the table where Lindsay sat, homework notes spread out on one of the tables. She sipped at her coffee thoughtfully, eyebrows scrunched together as she read over something. He sat across from her, careful not to put his food on her notes. He unwrapped a sandwich and bit into it, savoring the food hitting his hungry stomach. Geoff brought him a cup of coffee, two sugars and a little bit of milk, just the way he liked it. 

"I didn't order that," he said, but took the mug anyway. Geoff shrugged. 

"It's a coffee shop; you need at least some kind of hot drink in your hand," he explained before heading back to wait on other customers. Michael took a small sip, savoring the warmth hitting his taste buds. Lindsay was peeking at him over her own mug. 

"So... what are you studying?" he asked, motioning to her papers. 

"Theater," she replied. "We're putting on a play and I'm one of the major characters. There's so many lines to learn and I'm just..." she let out a deep breath. "...stressed." Michael nodded over his sandwich and took another gulp of coffee. 

"I know how you feel about stress. Wait, if you're in a play, that must mean you're at least a sophomore, right?" he asked, the thought just now occurring to him. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a sophomore; you're a freshman, right? I've seen you coming out of that Fine Arts Musical class, the one that's a general education requirement."

"That class is a joke; he lets us use our notes for the exams. I'm going to study business, so that maybe one day I can take over this place from Geoff; maybe even expand a little," he explained to the redhead. She smiled brightly, the fatigue from earlier clearly gone.

"That sounds like a nice goal, Michael. I'm debating on double majoring, if I feel like I'm up to it. Maybe something with computers; animation or something like that. I kind of want to get into voice acting someday," she admitted shyly. "It would be a dream come true if I was the star of an animated film; maybe even a Disney film." Her excitement was adorable, the way she became animated when she talked about her goals and her dreams. Michael didn't realize he was staring at her until she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

He shook his head. "What? Oh, sorry. I guess I just got lost staring off into space," he said, grinning sheepishly. Geoff coughed over by the counter, sounding suspiciously like 'bullshit' but Michael said nothing. 

The two continued to talk until Michael reluctantly had to go back to work. Lindsay stayed where she was, working on her lines until it was almost time to close. She gathered up her papers and put them back in her sack, walking to the counter to hand the mug to Michael. "It was nice talking to you, Michael. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked, smiling.

The butterflies in Michael's stomach did somersaults. Geoff nudged his ribs rather painfully when he said nothing. "D-definitely," he responded, returning the smile. She said goodbye to the men and began to walk to the door when Michael blurted out, "hey, if you need help running your lines I would be glad to help you." She stopped, a surprised look on her face.  _Stupid. She probably already has a line-reading partner. Way to make yourself look stupid, dumbass._

"I would like that," she finally responded, stepping out of the shop. Michael celebrated the small victory internally and turned towards Geoff who was leaning against the counter, eyebrows wiggling and a cheeky smile on his face. 

"Shut the fuck up, Geoff," Michael laughed, pushing past his boss to finish wiping off the rest of the tables.

"I didn't say anything," he defended, cackling as he finished washing the rest of the dishes. 

 

They settled into a routine over the next several weeks. Lindsay would come to the shop early in the morning for her coffee fix (and her Michael fix, Geoff teased when she was out of earshot) and she would come back that evening as Michael went on break. They would practice her lines while drinking their coffee until she could repeat them back to Michael without having to use the script. Then he would just admire her from the counter when he had to go back to work and he would occasionally refill her coffee if she needed one. When it was almost closing time she would pack up her stuff and say goodbye to the men and ask, "Same time tomorrow?" to Michael, at which he would nod profusely and she would just smile knowingly at him before exiting the shop. 

Of course the butterflies would become more and more active with each passing day, to the point where his hands would shake when he gave her her mug. She noticed one evening and asked if he was okay and of course he was okay, why wouldn't he be okay, why do you ask? She just gave him an odd look before settling in on her couch and pulling out her script. 

"Okay, I can't take it anymore," Geoff said one early afternoon. Michael handed a customer his black coffee before turning to his boss with a confused look on his face. 

"Can't take what? Black coffee? So some people don't like shit in their coffee, that's nothing to be exasperated over," he responded, taking a mug from a customer who was finished. Geoff ran a hand over his face.

"No, not the coffee. You. You and Lindsay are shamelessly flirting with each other and just won't admit it to each other that you have feelings for one another and frankly it's so glaringly obvious that it's annoying the shit out of me," he explained. 

"He's right you know," added Ray who happened to be next in line. He rolled his eyes at him and took his coffee order, settling into the process of making it. "It's not like you're trying to hide the fact that you've got feelings for this girl, you know." He revved up the blender to a higher speed to drown him out.

"HE'S RIGHT YOU KNOW," yelled Geoff over the noise. He turned off the mixer when it was done and poured it into Ray's cup, handing it to him. "I just don't see why you don't ask her out. She's not going to say no." He sighed and clasped his hands behind his head. Both Ray and Geoff were looking at him patiently.

"I can't," he finally said. "I'm too awkward and shy and she's so beautiful and the last time I asked somebody out I was humiliated in front of so many people." He tried to ask a girl to go to prom with him his senior year and she turned him down in front of the entire cafeteria full of people, raising her voice so that everyone would know Michael Jones wasn't good enough for her. Geoff's eyes softened when he remembered that day. Michael had come into work with bloodshot eyes from crying that afternoon and in a more irritable mood than normal. "I can't... I can't risk that happening again, guys." He muttered an excuse about going to the bathroom and left the two alone so he could recollect his thoughts.

He did like Lindsay; in fact he liked her a whole hell of a lot than he's ever liked anyone else. There was just something about her that made her stand out from any other girl he's come into contact with. He chuckled as he remembered their first encounter all those weeks ago. She still had his old t-shirt, but he never asked for it back. It looked better on her anyway. He spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom before Geoff came back and yelled at him through the door that if he was going to have a midlife crisis that he had better do it off the clock because there were customers to make coffee for and he was getting swamped up there. He left the safety of the restroom and went back up front to assist Geoff with the small rush of people that seemed to have come from out of nowhere.

Things calmed down about half an hour later. Ray was still there, having set up in his usual corner surrounded by paper and a hefty math book. He was chewing on his pencil, concentrating on a problem in front of him. His coffee sat there, long emptied, but he was to focused on his work to care. Michael walked to the table and grabbed the mug, causing Ray to look up. "Did you want a refill? You've been over here a while, and I've learned you can't tackle math without caffeine," he joked. Ray smiled and nodded at the offer. Michael swiftly returned and made a fresh cup for the man who still sat there, struggling. When he brought his coffee back he sat down beside Ray and peered at the problem. It was simple enough, if you knew what you were doing; Ray, clearly, did not.

He picked up an extra pencil Ray had laying around and pulled the paper toward him. "Okay, this problem is actually really simple. I'll show you step by step what to do; those books don't explain shit," he said, making sure to stay aware of the people coming in and out of the shop in case Geoff needed him. He spent the next few minutes showing Ray how to work the problems, relieved when Ray was able to work one by himself and come to the right answer without asking him any questions. 

"Wow, if only the professor would teach the way you do, I may actually enjoy math," he said happily once he was finished with all of his homework problems. Michael got up, satisfied that he was able to help his friend. "Thanks Michael; I really appreciate it." The two bro-hugged before Michael went back to work, leaving Ray to tackle the homework he  _did_ know how to do. He worked quietly for a while, time seeming to slip away as he busied himself around the shop. He didn't even realize it was almost time for his break until Geoff brought it up.

"So, how are you going to ask her out?" he asked out of the blue while handing a blueberry muffin to a girl. Michael froze at the question before nervously finishing up the hot chocolate he was preparing for a very irritated-looking mother. He handed it to her and she snatched it out of his hands, spilling some on his fingers. He waved away the hot sting before sticking them under cold running water. 

"I told you, I'm not," he repeated, irritated at the mother for the hot chocolate spill, irritated at Geoff that he kept bringing up the topic, and irritated at himself because he really wanted to ask her out but he was too much of a pussy to do so. He knew if he tried to get the words out he would just stutter, spill or break things, and then take off to the break room and hide for the rest of his shift. Geoff scoffed and pulled him away from the counter, dragging him to the back. 

"Okay look asshole," he said, crossing his arms while standing in front of the door, preventing Michael's escape. "You like Lindsay. Lindsay likes you. I know that you've got some bad memories from asking out girls, and that's okay. It's shitty that happened to you and I know you didn't deserve it, but this time I feel like it'll work out, man. You have to take chances in life if you want to get where you need to go, you know? The worst than can happen is that she says no, but I bet Ray five bucks she doesn't. So go ask the girl out and make yourself happy, Michael," he concluded, throwing an arm around his shoulders. 

He sighed, unwillingly agreeing with the man. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. But only because it'll make me happy, not because you might win five bucks," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at Geoff. He laughed happily and told Michael to clock out and grab his food. 

"So how are you going to do it?" he asked while Michael rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a sack. He stood there for a few minutes and thought about it before coming up with a plan.

"Do you have an extra shirt somewhere that I can use?"

 

Lindsay was seated in her normal spot, waiting for Michael to bring her her coffee like he normally did. She had a new book out in front of her, focusing on writing something down. She didn't see the two men emerge from the back. "Hey Lindsay, if you'll come to the counter I'll get your coffee for you," Geoff said, waving her up. She looked confused before making her way to the counter.

"Where's Michael?" she asked, noticing her favorite barista's absence. 

"He's taking care of something; he'll be out in a minute," he said, waving away her concern. While he was fixing her coffee, Michael hid just around the corner where she couldn't see him, nervously waiting to see if the plan he came up with would be successful. When she was handed her coffee and turned around to walk back to her seat, Michael rushed from the back and stopped just behind her. Geoff called, "Hey, Lindsay?" and she turned around, bumping into him and sending scalding hot coffee down his shirt, soaking the fabric. He hissed at the heat on his skin and could feel it sweltering slightly but he managed a grin at Lindsay's horrified expression.

"Oh shit, oh my god, Michael, are you okay?" she rambled, pulling his shirt away from his skin so cool air could try and ease some of the heat he felt. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, no worries. I've spilled worse on myself before," he said through his somewhat painful attempt at a smile. She looked like she was going to cry, even as Geoff ran over and handed her handfuls of napkins. "Deja vu, huh?" She giggled, even though her eyes were shining with unshed tears. 

"I guess this was bound to happen eventually," she said, squeezing napkins with his shirt to try and soak up some of the coffee. 

"Maybe; I'm just clumsy and stupid, though, so don't feel too bad. Besides, it's this asshole's fault for calling out to you in the first place," he said, pointing at Geoff. He held up his hands innocently and got to work cleaning a few dishes, a knowing smile lingering on his face. 

When it was evident that the shirt was only going to be fully clean if it got put in the washer, Lindsay raised her hands in defeat. "I am so sorry Michael. God, how can I make it up to you?"

Michael smiled, gathering Lindsay's hands in his own. "Well," he said slyly, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to fit in any of your shirts, even if you had an extra one to give me. So, how about you go on a date with me instead?" She gasped slightly, eyes locked on his own. Blue stared into brown and for a moment it was like they were the only two in the shop.

"Say yes so I can win five bucks!" Geoff called from behind the counter. Michael flipped him off while Lindsay giggled, though neither one broke eye contact. 

"Of course I'll go out with you Michael," she finally said, hugging him around the waist. They stood there for a few moments until both realized Michael was still sticky with coffee soaking his shirt. She pulled away and smiled shyly at Michael while something soft hit the back of his head.

"Alright dickhead, go change your shirt so you two can sit down and run lines or whatever the hell it is you two do for thirty minutes," Geoff said, ruining Michael's triumphant moment. 

But it didn't matter. Lindsay said yes and Michael was the happiest he had been in a while. 

Who knew spilling coffee on a girl could get you a date?


End file.
